Wire-wiping machine.



W. G. MILLER. WIRE WIPING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILE) JUNE 3, 1911.

1,008,180. Patentd Nov. '7, .1911.

4-SHE ETSSHEBT-1.

WITNESSES: lNVz/V T01? p BY M j A TORNE.

- 'G.MILLER. WIRE IPING MACHINE.

hrmonlon mum 111111: a, 1911.

' Patented NOV. 7, 1911,

5' v9 80 64 8f I 48 I 56 WITNESSES: I I INVEZVTORV /4 flZZZ/en 1 1 TTORNEYg.

W. G. MILLER. WIRE WIPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED inns, 1911.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

g5 mums-sum 3. 1

HE] $9 1 11 115! l INVENZOR 1 ATTORNEYS.

I u z? W. -G.' MILLE B.. WIRE WIRING MACHINE. v APPLIOATION FILED muss, 1 1 1.

Patented N0v.7, 1911.

1 4 SHEETS-SHEET .4 are |l 1 1. ll lllll I WITNESSES INVENTOR.

I i a- A TTORNE 25 LJI FIQ

WILLIAM GARFIELD MILLER, OF SOUTH SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA.

wInn-wIP NG MACHINE;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GARFIELD MILLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at South Sharon, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain'new and useful improvements in 'Wire-Viping Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a wire wiping machine especially designed for wiping and cleansing galvanized wire as the same is drawn from a galvanizing machine.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a machine for automatically accomplishing what has heretofore been accomplished by manual labor, it having necessitated the employment of men to'wipev wires drawn from the galvanizing machine, and in the majority of instances portions of the wires have been overlooked resulting in imperfections that lowe'rthe grade of the wire.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above type that normally wipes the strand of wire, but releases the strand of wire when a connection be storing receptacle for wiping material and to arrange adetent in connection with this receptacle that will release a fresh piece of wiping material after each strand of wire has been wiped.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of the above type with a movable head for holding wiping material against the strand of wire, the head beiiig moved at predetermined times by air or steam controlled by a rotary four-way valve,

which is automatically operated before and after the connection of two'strands of Wire reaches the machine, 7

A still further object of this invention isto provide a machine of the above type that is simple in construction, free from injury by ordinary use and highly eficient as a labor saving device.

alith. the above and other objectsin view, I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1911. Serial No. 331,051.

Patented Nov. 7' rear.

to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of themachine, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional'view of the same, Fig. 3 is a plan of-the machine, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the cylinder and valve of the machine, showing the valve in position to admit steam or air to the cylinder to move the piston in one direction, Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the valve adjusted to admit steam or air. to the cylinder to move the piston in the opposite direction, Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line z-z..oi Fig. 4, F 7 is a horizontal sectional view'taken on the line aa of Fig. 4, showing the exhaust, Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line ww of Fig. 5, showing the'exhaust, Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line b-b of Fig. 4, Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken onthe line w'w of Fig. 2, Fig. 11 is an end view of the bed plate of the machine, Fig. 12 is a' plan of the bottomguide of the machine, Fig. 13 is a front elevation of a detached head of the machine, and.Fig. 14 is a front elevation of a detached housing of the machine.

It is the present practice in wire millsto withdraw a large number of wires from the galvanizing machine, the wires being arranged in rows and each row consisting of strands having the ends thereof coupled together, whereby the galvanizin can be uninterruptedly performed. As t e wires are arranged in rows, it would be necessary to use a row of machines, and for this reason I arrange an air or steam supply pipe 1 transversely of the direction in which thewires travel, whereby all the machines employed for wiping the wire can receive steam or" air from a common source.

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1, 2 and 11, wherein 2 denotes a bed plate having the ends thereof provided with apertured lugs 3 whereby the bed plate can be anchored upon a suitable foundation or support. The bed plate '2 has vertical longitudinal side swells 4-forming a central longitudinal slot 5. The ends of the walls 4, at the upper the z-nlion resides in the novel construcl edges thereof, are provided with bearings 6 ti n. cmnbination and arrangement of parts for transverse revoluble shafts 7. Mounted upon the shafts 7, intermediate the ends thereof, are grooved wheels 8 adapted to support a strand of wire 9 above the slot and longitudinally thereof, the end of the strand 5 of wire being connected by a coupling 10 to the end of another strand of wire 11.

The upper edges of the side walls 4, ad-

havin the upper end thereof bifurcated or forke as at for a purpose that will presently appear. Pivotally connected to the 15 lower end of the arm 14, as at 16 is a link 17 and said link is pivotally connected, as at 18 to a lever 19 fulcrumed upona rod 20 arranged transversely of the slot 5 and having the ends thereof mounted in the confronting faces of'the walls 4-. The upper end of the fulcrumed lever 19 is pivotally connected, as at 21 to the forward end of a link 22. The rear end of the link 22 is pivotally connected, as at 23 to the lower end 25 of an arm 24 mounted upon a rock shaft 25,

journaled in bearings 26, carried by the upper edges of the ,walls 4, adjacent to the rear ends thereof. The arm 24 is bifurcated or forked, as at 27 similar to the arm 14. These arms are adapted to be shifted by the coupling l0, and said arms automatically control the operation of the machine, as will presently appear.

Arranged transversely of thenipper edges of the walls 4, intermediate the'huds thereof, is a bottom guide 28, saidguide being suitably mounted upon the walls 4. The rear edge of the guide is cut away, as at 29 and the top thereof has a longitudinal groove 30 providing a seat fora piece of cleansing material 31, as asbestos. The forward end of the groove 30 is flared, as at 32 to provide suflicient clearance for the strand of wire 9.

Mount/ed upon. the upper edges of the bottom guide28 is a housing 33, said housing being retained in position by screw bolts 34 that extend through the lateral flanges 35 of the housing and through the bottom guide into the upper edges of the walls 4. Thehousing 33 has side walls connected at their upper ends by a bearing plate 36, the sidewalls having extensions 37 0011- nected by an angular-1y disposed web 38. .This web has the upper ed e thereof cut away to provide a pocket 39 for a detent 40.

The detent40 is carried by a shaft-'41 arranged in bearings 42, carried by the web 38. .The shaft 41 has a crank 43 provided withprongs 44 normally engaged by a crank 59 45 mounted upon the end of the rock shaft 13.

Secured to the bearing plate 36 of the housing 33 is the back plate 46 of a vertical cylinder 47 having heads 48 and 49. The latter has a forwardly projecting bracket 50 for supporting a vertical storing remap-- tacle 51. The lower end of this storing receptacle has a spout 5.2 terminating at the upper edge oftlie pocket 39 of the web 38, and this receptacle is adapted to contain pieces of cleansing material 31, the passage of the material from the receptacle being .face of this head is a vertical blade 57 of a greater width than the head 56. The lower end of the blade 57 is provided with a vertical slot 58 having the lower end thereof flared, as at 59. The flared end of the slot provides clearance for the link 22 and the slot 58 provides clearance for the strand of wire 9, said blade holding the piece of cleaning material 31 upon the bottom guide 28, while the strand of wire 9 is drawn through said cleaning material. The head, 56 is guided in its movement by the rear edge of the web 38, by a verticalweb 60 connecting the side Walls'of the housing 30, and by a transverse bar 61 connecting the side walls of the housing and extending through a slot 95 62 provided therefor between the lower end of the head 56 and the blade 57.

The head 48 of the cylinder 47is provided with a valve body 63, said valve body having a central vertical seat 64 for a valve plug 65. The upper end of the plug has an' L-shaped crank 66 and the outer end of said crank is enlarged and provided with a longitudinal slot 67 to receive the upper end 6? 165 of a lever 69 fulcrunied upon the side 0. the cylinder 47, as at 70. The lower end ofthe lever 69 is pivotally connected, as at 72 to the lowerend of a link 73, and said link is pivotally connected, as at 74 to the upper end of the crank The valve body 63 is provided with oppositely disposed ports 75 and 76 and with exhaust ports 77-and 78, all ofv said port-s communicating with the seat 64 of the plug 65. The port 78 is curved to communicate with the port 76, as at 79. The valve plug 65 has a transverse port 80 adapted to al ternately establish communication between the ports 75 and 76 and the ports 77 and 78. These ports are arranged adjacent to the upper end of the valve bod 63 and in the lower part of the valve bo y there are ports 81 and 82 and exhaust ports 83 and 84, all of said ports being in communication with the seat 64 of the" plug 65. The ports 62 and 64 are in communication with the cylinder 47, as best shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8.

The ports 75 and 81 are connected by pipes 85 and 86 respectively to a steam dome or column 87, carried by a stand pipe 88 in communication with the air or steam. supply pipe 1. The stand pipe 88 has a suitable valve 89 for shutting off the supply of steam or air to the valve body 63. The lower end of the plug 65 has a port 90 adapted to alternately establish communication between the ports 8.1 and 82 and the ports 83 and 84. The port 76 is connected by a pipe 91 to a port 92 in the head 49 of-the cylinder il, said pipe providing a by' -pass for the inlet and exhaust of air from the cylinder.;-,

Operation: When steam-hr air is admitted to the cylinder 47, through pipe 87, ports 81, 90 and 82, the piston head 55 within the cylinderis lowered. The steam or air below the piston head 55 exhaust throng. the port 92, pipe 91, ports 76, 78, 80 and '7. hen the piston head 55 is lowered, the head 56 engages the piece of material 31 that rolled beneath said head from the inclined web 38 and the head ,56 presses the piece of cleaning material upon the strand of Wire 9, retaining the piece of material in engagement with the strandof wire while the Wire is drawn through the material. The strand of wire will be thoroughly wiped and cleansed during this movement and the blade 57 prevents the cleaning material from being drawn from beneath the head by the strand of wire.

When the coupling 10 impinges the upper end of the rock'arm 14, the impact of this coupling is suflici-ent to move the upper end of the arm downwardly, thereby shifting the links 17 and 22, the leverl t) and the arm 24, said arm being shifted to a vertical position to be struck by the coupling 10 and to restore the arm 14 to its normal position to be impinged by the next coupling. When 'the arm 14 is rocked, the crank- 45 is moved and'through .the medium of'the link 73 the .lever 69 is shifted. The upper end of the lever engaging the crank of the valve plug 65 immediately rotates said plug a quarter of a revolution in the seat 64. Steanii or air then passes from the pipe 85 throu h the ports 7 5, 80, 76, pipe 91to the cylintfere'f-below the piston head 55. The piston head is elevated and the steam or air in the upper end of the cylinda exhaust. through ports 84, 90 and 83. As the piston head 55 is elevated, the head 56 is carried upwardly to .releasethe cleaning material, "which is shifted from the bottom guide 28 by the coupling 10 and drops between the walls i of the bed plate 2. The head 56 and .the' blade 57 are elevated in sutlicient time.

to release the piece of cleaning material and as the head 56 ascends, a fresh piece of cleaning material rolls oil of the web 38 to a point beneath the head 56.

When-the crank 45 is moved. said crank shifts the crank 43 downwardly, actuating the strait i} to raise the detent 40. This wire 11.

'ing material; it is the couplin detent removes a piece of cleaning material from the pocket 3%) and the piece of cleaning material rolls down the web 38 to immediately pass beneath the head 56 whenthe same is sutliciently raised. The detent 4O prevents the escape of pieces of cleaning material from, the receptacle 5]. until said detent is restored to its normal position, and then apiece of material enters the pocket 39 and checks the other piece of material from passing out of the spout 52 of the receptacle5l.

When the coupling 10 impinges'the arm 2 2 and restores the arm le to its normal position, the cranks 43 and 45 are shifted, the

former restoring the detent 40 to its normal position and the latter actuating the lever 69 to rotate the valve plug 65 a quarter of a revolution. Steam or air-is again admitted to the cylinder l? from the pipe 88 to force 35 the piston head 55 downwardly whereby the head 56 will hold thefresh piece of cleaning material in engagement with the strand of From the'toregoing it willbe observed 90 that I have devised a machine that is automatic throughout, the machine having a four-way valve that controls the raising and lowering of the head 56, which serves functionallyas a retaining member for the clean-' between the strands of'wire that intermittently actuate the machine by causing the valve plug to .be rotated and the detent to be shifted,"-

whereby pieces of cleaning material will be released and carried intoposition and held during the movement of a strand of wire.

While in the drawings there is illustrated I a preferred embodimentof the invention,

is to be understood thatthe structural elements thereof are susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

, What I claim is j 1. A machine for wiping moving wire comprising a fluid pressure operated device for holdlng a piece of cleaning material 111 juxtapositionto the moving wire, and means for replacing the used piece of materlal by i an unused piece of material.

2. A machine for wiping moving wire comprising a fluid pressure operated device comprising means adaptdto intermittently feed pieces of cleaning matsrial in close juxtaposition to the moving wire, fluid pressure operated means for maintaining means for actuating said fluid pressure 0perated means. I

5. A machine for wiping moving wirecomprising means actuated at intervals by the movingwire for'simultaneously releasing a stored piece of cleaning material and placing said 'material in engagement with the moving wire, and means intermittently actuated by the moving Wire for maintaining the material upon the wire to clean the same, a

6. A machine for wiping moving wire comprising means actuated at intervals for releasing stored pieces or cleaning material, and means including a retaining member adapted to hold the cleaning material in engagement with the wire during the interim of a'ctuation.

7. A machine for wiping Wire comprisinn a storing receptacle for cleaning material, means carried by the moving wire and adapted to release material from the storing receptacle, and means actuated by the first mentioned means and adapted to. retain the material in engagement with the moving 8. A machine for wiping moving wire comprisingia storing receptacle for cleaning material, a detent actuated by the moving Wire and adapted to intermittently release Wiping material from said receptacle, and

means actuated by the moving wire and ineluding a retaining member adapted to hold the cleaning material in engagement with the wire during the interim of actuation.

9. A machine for wiping moving wire, comprising a storinv receptacle for wiping material, a detent adapted to be actuated at intervals by the moving wire for releasing pieces of material from said. receptacle, means including a retaining member adapted to place and. hold the released piece of material in engagement with the moving r the piece of .material in engagementwith the wire, and

'consisting of a storing receptacle for cleanwire, and means actuated by the moving wire and adapted to move the retainin member to release the used piece of materia and replace an unused piece of material.

10. --A machine for Wiping moving Wire ing'material, a vdetent adapted to be intermittently actuated by the moving wire torelease material from said receptacle, and meansadaptecl to be intermittently actuated to place thematerial and'retain said material in engagement with the moving piece of 'wire.

11. A machine for wiping moving wire comprising a fluid pressure operated device including a retaining member for holding cleaning material in engagement with the wire during travel of the'latter, and means intermittently actuated by the wire when traveling for intermittently throwing into operation said fluid pressure operated device.

12. A machine for wiping moving Wire comprising means for storing pieces of cleaning material a fluid pressure operated device including a retaining member for holding cleaning material in engagement. with the wire during travel of the latter, and an intermittently operated means for releasing the stored pieces of cleaning material.

13. A machine for Wiping moving wire comprising a fluid pressure operated device including a retaining member for holding cleaning material in engagement with the wire during travel of the latter, means intermittently actuated by the Wire when traveling for intermittently throwing into operation said fluid pressure operated device, and releasing the stored terial.

. r In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesSes;

. l/VILLIAM GARFIELD MILLER.

. Witnesses:

A. PAYNE,

B. H. HIQKMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G.

an intermittently operated means forpieces of cleaning ma- 

